However, the return of the Macy's July 4 Fireworks to the East River does not mean that the Queens/Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side of Manhattan portion of the East River will be able to view the fireworks.

I have been told by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp and NYC Officials that the fireworks barges will all be located south of the Manhattan Bridge.

Due to this location the fireworks will not be visible from Western Queens, Greenpoint and Roosevelt Island.

Is that true?...

The Mayor's Office responded yesterday saying that the East River fireworks will not be visible this year from Roosevelt Island because the northern most barge will be located between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge adding that Macy's has committed to moving the fireworks around in future years so that as many viewers as possible can enjoy them.

No response yet from the Mayor's Office regarding viewing July 4 Macy's Fireworks from Western Queens but if they can't be seen from the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, it is unlikely they can be seen just across the East River in Western Queens.

Also, no response as to why Western Queens and Roosevelt Island are being left out of the East River July 4 Celebration viewing. In previous years of Macy's July 4 Fireworks Celebration on the East River, Roosevelt Island and Western Queens had great viewing locations.

During May 12 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Operations Advisory Committee (full web cast of meeting here), RIOC President Charlene Indelicato recommended to the RIOC Board Of Directors that Southpoint Park be closed during the July 4 Macy's Fireworks Celebration for safety and security reasons particularly since there will be no view of the fireworks available at that location.

As an alternative, the RIOC Board is exploring the possibility of a simulcast TV viewing of the Fireworks on a large screen set up at Firefighters Field as was done during the 2012 Olympics.

Here's the RIOC Operations Committee discussion.

The FDR Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island will be closed during the July 4 Fireworks Celebrations as well. According to a FDR Four Freedoms Park spokesperson:

The Four Freedoms Park will be closing at our regular time of 7:00 p.m. on July 4th. There are no private events being held at the Park during the day or evening. In celebration of July 4th we will be offering a free family-friendly performance by The Three Amigos (a zydeco/folk/bluegrass group) from 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be food services available at the Park from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

UPDATE 5/23 - The Mayor's Office replied today that prime viewing locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens will be announced by the City before July 4.

As a reminder, visibility of the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks will be extremely limited on Roosevelt Island due to the show's location near the Brooklyn Bridge. There are no designated viewing locations available on Roosevelt Island.

The fireworks may be viewed from any area with an unobstructed view of the sky above the East River. The public viewing sections will be the elevated portions of FDR Drive with the following entry points:
Manhattan Access Points

Montgomery & South Streets: From the north (viewing along the FDR between Manhattan Bridge and Montgomery Street).

Brooklyn Bridge entry from St. James Place (Pearl Street) & Wagner Place (viewing both north & south of the Brooklyn Bridge).

Broad Street and/or Old Slip at Water Street (viewing between Heliport & south side of Brooklyn Bridge

ADA viewing area: Murray Bergtraum High School track and field facility, at the base of the Manhattan Bridge. Use the entrance at Market & Cherry Streets.

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According to the Macys July 4th web site, the fireworks will center on the Brooklyn Bridge in celebration of the return of the fireworks to the E. River. The idea is the area of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, and so forth, is where NYC started, with the Brooklyn Bridge eventually linking the two urban areas. Also, it's the 200th Anniversary of "The Star Spangled Banner" - so the musical acts will focus on patriotic themes this year. http://social.macys.com/fireworks/

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